


Three Weeks and Six Months

by Skydahoepotato



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019) Season 4, Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019) Season 4 Spoilers, Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, Parent Shadowsan (Carmen Sandiego)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:40:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29486160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skydahoepotato/pseuds/Skydahoepotato
Summary: It took three weeks to make Carmen the operative that VILE has always wanted. It took another six months for Carmen to earn her spot as a faculty, but it didn't take long for her to realize that VILE isn't living up to its potential. With the resources and people that VILE provides, they can be so much more. If only they had the right leader.  (Plot is Canon up until episode 6/7-ish.) Also, I'm giving people guns.
Relationships: Gray | Crackle/Carmen Sandiego | Black Sheep/Original Character(s), Julia "Jules" Argent & Carmen Sandiego | Black Sheep
Comments: 10
Kudos: 45





	1. Tests

**Author's Note:**

> [Inspiration for this fic comes from @VestaDragon on here/tumblr! ] This is what I think (probably) happened to Carmen in those three weeks she spent under constant mental torture before finally being deemed ready to be out on the field.  
> 

Coach Brunt, Maelstrom and Dr. Bellum sat in their chairs patiently awaiting the return of their fourth member, Countess Cleo. It was awkward silence while Bellum doodled a cat climbing a pyramid on some loose paper. Besides the sounds of pen on paper the only other sound being heard was Brunt tapping her finger on the table. The silence was interrupted by a helicopter from the distance which got louder and louder. Cleo has arrived. In a tizzy, Cleo stormed out of the helicopter and forced the door open before Vlad could hold the door open for her.

"She can't keep getting away with this. I've had it up to here with her interferences with our plans!” She brought her right hand up and stretched it above her head. She approached the table, slightly stomping. “Do you know how close we were? This close!”

“Hey Uh, I think your fingers are touching.” Coach Brunt inched closer for a better look. “Yep, definitely touching.” She snorted.

Bellum laughed. “You’re using a lot of hand gestures, Carmen Sandiego has you really riled up.” All Cleo could do was just glare back at her, but Bellum continued to smile anyways.

“That’s because it was within our grasps!” She blurts out while whipping her arm back down to her side. “If it weren’t for her and ACME teaming up, we would’ve had enough riches to fund our projects for ages, at least enough to get us out of this rat-infested castle we call a headquarters!”

“Countess, I understand your frustration. Believe me, we all feel the same way. No need to bring in our current living arrangements.” Maelstrom rubs his frontal temple and sighs. “Our recent failures have recently taken a major toll on our mental health and our remaining funds. Please, just have a seat and we can forget this all happened.” Bellum’s head shot up from her now completed picture of a cat on a pyramid, which surprisingly looked well drawn.

“Forget? Ah, that’s what I had forgotten to mention!” Dr. Bellum pushed her chair back and looked through her messy array of papers. The rest of the faculty looked to each other in confusion before redirecting their focus onto Bellum’s antics. Their eyes followed her as she brought a remote and some papers around the table and in front of their table next to Cleo. “Pardon me, Countess.” Cleo stepped to the side to make some room.

“What is this all about, Saira?” Cleo questioned.

“This is about our wiping problem!” She said confidently with no context whatsoever. A moment of awkward silence passes.

Maelstrom raises an eyebrow. “Perhaps you should provide some context.”

Bellum ponders for a moment before realizing what she said. “Oh, silly me.” She presses a button on the remote and brought down the big screen. “This is in reference to our mind wiper.” Clicking a button that shows a blueprint to their old mind wiper but with notes written on the borders. She grins. “It is fixed.”

There was a collective gasp. “Does that mean?” Coach Brunt asks hesitantly, hoping she understands what she hopes it means.

“Yes, this means it is ready to be used on a little Black Sheep.” Bellum replies.

Cleo puts her hand on Bellum’s shoulder, looks down at her colleague and smiles. “Excellent work Saira.”

Dr.Bellum chuckles, waves her hand, and tries to act nonchalant. “It was nothing really. Just extensive hours of combing through data to find any bugs. A toddler could do it. But not really, toddlers do not have the brain capacity for engineering and science.” Cleo did a small puff of a laugh. It was not funny, but Bellum has a way of being so straight forward it began to slightly amuse her on bad days.

Maelstrom stood up from his seat faster than any of them had ever seen before. He was almost oozing excitement, despite keeping his usual calm yet unsettling demeanor. “Enough of the chitchat ladies. Let’s get started right away. Coach, contact The Troll and instruct The Cleaners to follow his directions. Doctor Bellum and I will be heading to the lab to make some preparations. Oh, and Countess, please be ready to welcome our guest when she arrives.” Maelstrom walked out of the castle while Bellum trailed a little bit behind, leaving Cleo and Brunt by themselves to start the work.

“A shoulder touch and a smile? Countess, keep it in your pants next time, will ya?” Brunt teased.

Cleo took offence and scoffed. “Excuse me? What on earth are you talking about?”

Brunt rolled her eyes. “If you don’t get it, then it’s not even worth explaining.” She smiled and eyed Cleo before she opened up her phone to start doing her job.

Hours had passed. Everyone had done their jobs and were just waiting on an update.

Coach Brunt sat alone in the big empty faculty room. Cleo was fixing up a new room in the castle, using her eye for design to make it feel like home for a young adult. Though Brunt didn’t have any care for design, she’d rather not be sitting by herself like someone benched during a game. That was before she felt a buzz in her pocket. She quickly answered.

“We have Carmen Sandiego. We will be arriving shortly.” Thick accent, but definitely the cleaners. She couldn’t tell if it was Vlad or Boris, but it didn’t matter. They were almost the same person anyways, and besides, they have what they needed.

Brunt hit a quick dial on a remote and brought down the big screen again. Bellum and Maelstrom only needed one screen to talk, with Cleo on the other line. They awaited her response. “Our little Black Sheep will be home shortly.”

Maelstrom grinned. “Excellent.”

“Coming off a little too malicious there.” Bellum pointed out.

He groaned in response. “Coach Brunt, please double check with The Cleaners and affirm they will bring her directly to the castle lab. We are ready on our end.” Before hanging up abruptly.

“Quick confirmation Countess, her room is ready, right?” Coach asked.

“Do you take me for some lazy fool, of course it is ready. You should see it, it has-” But was interrupted by Brunt.

“I think I hear the helicopter! Fwoosh fwoosh! Gotta run.” She quickly hung up the call. Dodged that bullet. Lucky for her, The Cleaners were within the vicinity and helicopter could be heard. So, technically she wasn’t lying. Brunt got out of her seat and stretched. She was sitting for a while, so she needed to get the blood flowing. She walked to the doors as the helicopter started to land. She stood back as the wind forcefully blew on trees and on her face.

Once the helicopter landed and the blades stopped spinning, the door swung open. Boris had Carmen swung over his shoulder. Somehow she was still completely knocked out. Either she was exhausted, or she just can’t take being tased. Brunt approached Boris.

“Let me take her, Mama Bear got this.” Boris just nodded silently. She opened her arms and took Carmen from his shoulder and cradled her. In a way, she really did look like a mother. One that was carrying her daughter to the house after she fell asleep on a long car ride. It felt right to her.

Once Brunt reached the lab. Maelstrom and Bellum were waiting patiently. Bellum was at her computer, doing some final runs through some code so everything would run smoothly. While Maelstrom was just supervising.

“Wonderful Coach! Please set her down on the table.” He said as he gestured to a hard metal table.

Brunt just stared at the metal table that had cuffs sticking out. “What kind of torture device is this?”

Doctor Bellum dropped whatever she was focusing on and turned around. “Torture? Coach. The mind wiper does not hurt.”

“Uh, I was talking about the cuffs.”

“Oh, the cuffs? Yeah, those might hurt. Also, prolonged resistance might be borderline mental torture.”

“Uh-huh.” Coach said suspiciously, still holding Carmen in her arms.

“Just put her down, you can’t be in here when she wakes up.” Maelstrom demanded. Coach just nodded. She could tell they were annoying him. He isn’t a patient man, especially when there’s something he wants personally. She one by one closed the cuffs. She couldn’t help but feel this was too much, after all, they did raise her. They had been planning this ever since Carmen defected from VILE. She always known one day her Lambkins would return home one way or another, but she always hoped she’d come back willingly.


	2. Results

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bolded Italicized words are inner thoughts/dialogue. You can treat it as any normal speech, I just didn't want any confusion with actual conversations.  
> T/W Panic Attacks

After Coach left the room, it was just a waiting game at that point. Dr. Bellum started attaching some monitors that could keep track of Carmen’s vitals as they did their work to ensure they don’t go overboard and do any permanent damage; this was precious cargo after all. While fiddling with the wires, Carmen began to stir. Maelstrom took notice immediately. “Stop what you’re doing, Doctor. She’s waking up, make sure we’re all set.” 

Carmen groaned. Everything was so fuzzy, she felt numb all over. She could hardly even place where she was now. It’s taking a lot just to gather the right information to figure out how she ended up unconscious in the first place. She focused her mind on remembering what happened **. _I was talking to player, after Egypt. Wait, those aren’t the right words; I was confiding in him after I talked to Chief. She was asking about- Argentina. We talked about Dad. We made a deal. Player was the one person I could openly talk to about my parents. What happened after that?_ _Something was behind me. No, it was someone._** That’s when the realization struck her. **_You have to wake up! Now!_ **She yelled at herself internally.

Her eyes slowly began to open, it was so blurry, so incredibly hard to make out where exactly she was. But she had to wake up and get out. Despite being incredibly worn out she was able to force herself awake. Freedom was on her mind as she attempted to get up, but only met pain when she ended up pressing her forehead and wrists against some metal restraints. Being strapped onto a metal table would be terrifying enough as you were conscious. But there’s something about waking up on one that adds another level of fear. She wanted to scream, but she had found herself gagged, perhaps it was better that way. _**Act tough.** _The adrenaline of being trapped made her wide awake now. Carmen tried to look around, but she was locked in too tight. She could only scan the room with the limited capabilities of our human eyes.

Dr. Bellum was finishing up calibrating the mind wiper to Carmen’s mental and physical tolerance. “What will we call her once I’ve completed my ‘modifications’?” She turned her head to Carmen as she attempted to break free. “Black Sheep?” She says, before looking to Maelstrom for approval of the name.

Usually, Carmen would know how to be calm in a hostage situation, but this was too much. Just the idea of being taken back to VILE HQ gave her anxiety. Being trapped there with no escape with a fate that only means becoming someone she detests with all her heart. She felt sick. It was like drowning in a sea of her own fears. Carmen attempted pulling at the shackles again but to no avail.

Her eyes followed her old teacher, Professor Maelstrom. “We will call her Carmen Sandiego.” He had a devilish grin spread upon his face as he walked around the table. Carmen was struggling enough as it was. If she could just get her head free, she could squirm enough to possibly shake the mind wiper off. Upon seeing her little attempt to break free, Maelstrom pushed her head back down with two fingers. He looked down condescendingly. “For what better way to sully her good name, as she begins a new chapter doing our bidding.”

Upon hearing that, Carmen tried to break free again. Though resistance was futile, she was not about to give up fighting. She tried to act brave, she really did, but her breathing started to get heavy. It got harder and harder to act tough. **_Is this what a panic attack feels like?_** The air felt thin. She felt like she needed to gasp for air, but the gag made it difficult. Although she knew how easy it was to breath, it felt almost impossible to breathe through her nose. It was suffocating. **_This feels so hopeless._** She heard footsteps approaching from above her head. Her heart was beating out of her chest. It felt so loud. The footsteps closing in wasn't good. She knew that meant the Doctor was done with the calibrations and that also meant she was seconds away from forgetting everyone she loved and cared about. Everything she had accomplished would be erased, literally.

Once Bellum reached the table with the mind wiper in her hands she was finally able to take the moment in. She had been waiting for this type of accomplishment for a long time, so she couldn’t help but smile. “Relax, my dear. This won’t hurt a bit.” She brings down the wiper onto Carmen’s face and it activates automatically. 

Despite the overwhelming amount of emotional distress, there was one upside to this final moment. With the Mind Wiper on, her old teachers won’t see her crying.

* * *

Everything was quiet. It almost seemed serene. It was like awaking from an empty dream that leaves you itching to remember if you were dreaming about nothing or were just floating in an empty void until you woke up. Either scenario left Carmen thinking. She arose from her bed and looked around. A nicely decorated bedroom, the main colors were red and gold, with some hints of black in some areas. The bed was cozy, sure. But it was a little drafty in the room, the temperature nothing like the island home she was used to. This wasn’t VILE island. Where in the world was she?

The room did not have any semblance of familiarity. Not even the smells. It smelled like a new house that was being put up for sale. After deciding to get out of bed and familiarize herself with “her” room, she got to take in how big the room was. She had a desk and a large closet with an assortment of red clothes. **_Now that’s a lot of red._** She instinctively reached for a red trench coat that was in the middle of the rack and brought it to the large mirror that was next to the door. She was already dressed in some casual wear. A black shirt with two red stripes on the sleeves and one red stripe on the collar of her shirt, with dark blue jeans to really sell the casual look. She held the coat in front of her and smiled. **_I look good. However, I don’t ever remember buying this outfit._** Something wasn’t right. Then a headache hit her like a truck. Her head was throbbing. It felt like something was eating away at her brain. There was a ringing in her ear with pain so overwhelming it had caused her to collapse as she gripped her head. Before she knew it, the pain stopped.

She tried to catch her breath. “What. Was. that?” She looked at herself again in the mirror. Why didn’t this feel right? In the middle of her thoughts there was a knock on the door.

Carmen quickly stood up to answer the door before someone spoke. “May I come in?” She recognized that voice. It was the second manliest voice on the faculty right after Coach Brunt.

For some reason she hesitated to answer but cleared her throat. “Yes you may.” The door opened and her suspicion was correct. Professor Maelstrom entered and tried to greet her with non-creepy smile.

He approached her with caution. “Ah, Carmen. Glad to see you're finally awake.” He stopped out of arm's reach before her.

“Thank you for your concern.” She replied while looking away, but making eye contact again after a moment of silence. “If you don’t mind me asking Professor.” Stopping mid sentence trying to gather the courage to ask her question.

Maelstrom gulped. He wasn’t sure if the Mind Wiper had worked completely. Unlike with Crackle, Carmen had grown up with thieves but in her personality was curiosity and mischief. It made her unpredictable. “Go on.” He pushed.

“What happened to me? I can’t remember, ah-” She tried to pinpoint the part of her life that she last remembers but everything seemed so muddled. “I don’t even know where to start?” Laughing a bit. It seems ridiculous. Shaking her head in embarrassing shame, having finally come up with a question. It seemed stupid to even ask. “So, uh- Why did you just call me Carmen?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Inspiration for this fic comes from @VestaDragon on here/tumblr! Plz thank her for having a genius brain]


	3. Roadblock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slightly longer chapter because it works out better this way. :)

“So, uh- Why did you just call me Carmen?”

A wave of relief washed over him. Thankfully, the Mind Wiper was functional and erased Carmen Sandiego’s recent memories of her identity. Then again, this could be trick. Regardless, he had to take that opportunity to carve out a path before anything solidified. He had to be careful with his words. If perhaps she was faking, he could lure her to a wrong answer and catch her in the act.

“There’s no shame in asking. Carmen Sandiego is your name, more specifically your new codename, given to yourself upon graduating. You had quite mishap on your most recent caper. You were severely injured and concussed, it’s normal to to have some blank spots here and there.” He explains, whilst he carefully studies Carmen’s miniscule facial expressions and body language that could reveal what she was really feeling. “You were treated immediately, but recovery took longer than we thought.”

Carmen readjusted her posture and while crossing her arms, Carmen shook her head . She scoffed slightly to herself and looked down at the floor. “Is that all there is to that story?” The tension began to bubble to the surface, ready to boil over if it gets too intense. “I’d really like to know everything in detail, you know, just for my own curiosity.” She added on, before looking back up at Maelstroms face and making eye contact. She was reading him too. Both parties were acting too suspicious for the others’ taste.

Maelstrom was caught off guard by that, but not at all that surprised. Before Black Sheep became Carmen Sandiego, she was the top student in almost all her classes. They had taught her well, perhaps he taught her too well. Two can play it that way. “You were on a Caper in Egypt, accompanied by Vlad, Boris, Tigress and Countess Cleo. The goal was to secure the lost treasure our previous VILE ancestors had left to us before anyone else could get their hands on it. Everything was going smoothly until two ACME agents interfered.” The word ‘ACME’ triggered something, causing Carmen’s breath to falter.

Continuing with the story to get it over with. “Like our protocol states, retreat was necessary, for they had requested back up from the local government. During your escape, a slight misstep activated a trap in the pyramid. A boulder to the back of the head isn’t something you can easily walk away from.” He looked at her, hoping this satisfied her curiosity.

“What exactly is ACME?” She asked.

Trying not to give away too much that information that might reawaken her rebellion. “ACME is an organization that wants to cripple VILE for their own personal gain, taking back what’s rightfully ours. They are nothing more than hypocrites.” Maybe he took too long to give an answer, but the response was definitely making her think.

Relaxing a bit, Carmen uncrossed her arms. “I’m sorry Professor, it seems to make sense. Truly, it does. But right now, it feels like my mind is on fire. Nothing seems right.” Looking to him for answers, not for information but for some sort of comfort.

He raised his eyebrow; he was a psychology major not a therapist. “Perhaps you should visit Dr. Bellum in her lab.”

Looking out the window, realizing that the cliffside and lack of tropical flora meant this truly wasn’t VILE island. “I don’t even know where I am, much less where her lab would be.” She says almost coldly. Noticing her tone, she corrected herself. “Sorry, I’m just a little frustrated with the whole, not knowing anything deal.”

Taken aback the slight harshness, Maelstrom walks out into the hallway. “No need for apologies. I’ll take you there myself.” Extending his arm out towards the corridor, a signal for ‘Let’s go.’

A simple nod was all she gave for an answer. She quickly put on some red converse that were by the door and a red zip up hoodie that was hanging on a coat rack. When she left the room and finally stepped into the corridor where her professor had been waiting for her, she got to take in how lost she felt. Nothing was familiar.

“Follow me.” Maelstrom said as he began walking. His words pulled her out of her small daydream, and she followed close behind. Her eyes wandered around the halls. Decorated in some historic tapestries. Judging by the Scottish décor, she assumed this was a castle in Scotland, or just some castle that took inspiration from Scottish history.

Cutting the silence, Carmen spoke. “How big is this place exactly?”

“Over one hundred thousand square feet. Including hidden passages and other large rooms.” He responded. Small talk was something he personally didn’t enjoy. A waste of breath. He’d much prefer silence or opera to fill in the time.

“Is there a reason why we decided to move from a tropical island to a large drafty castle?” She asked. Looking at the back of someone’s head wasn’t a good way to talk. Harder to hear but also harder to read their emotions.

As they continued to walk, Maelstrom was relieved that he was in front. That question made him flinch. This all tied back to Shadowsan’s betrayal, but he had to avoid bringing him up in his answer. “ACME was the reason. We had suspicions that ACME was closing in, so we had to abandon our previous headquarters and relocate to a safer location.”

That caught her off guard. Her entire life was growing up on that island. “What happened to the school?” she asks softly.

Leading her down a stairwell and into a dark and dimly lit hallway he regretfully said, “We had to temporarily suspend our academic offerings.” No surprise there. With ACME closing in, it’s safer to shut down to stop all chances of having a mole in their midst. It was just a little disheartening to hear they stopped having classes. Those classes were how she met some of her best friends. The rest of the walk in the hallway were quiet once again. What if there were people she was forgetting due to her missing memories. How can you remember something or someone that you have no idea exists?

“We are here.” Maelstrom said as he stopped in front of a curved doorway. There was green light emitting from the room, with the hum of a generator echoing around. His voice slightly startled Dr. Bellum who was already inside working on another gadget.

“Oh Professor, how delightful to see you!” She exclaims, greeting Maelstrom who was waiting by the door. Carmen soon approached the doorway in the line of Bellum’s visibility. “And Carmen too! How are you feeling, dear?”

Carmen gave a small wave. “Hi Doctor. If I’m being honest, I’m not feeling that great.”

Before she could explain her situation, Maelstrom interrupted. “It seems she has developed some mild amnesia and feels as if _something is_ _wrong_.” A small change in tone in the last few words indicated he was angry with the fact there was a slight misstep in the wiping process.

There were bad vibes in the room, so Carmen decided to try to ease the tension. “Yeah what he said. I had a killer migraine earlier too.”

Taking in the information, it was hard to figure out what went wrong with the little information she received. There could’ve been many factors, but as long as Carmen still stands before them without any major defiance, they should take it as a good sign. “That- is not ideal.” Bellum replied. Patting the large metal table in the middle of the room, she continues. “Please lie down, Carmen dear. I can help with the migraines, but it may take some work to deal with the amnesia.”

Seeing the metal table really made Carmen feel uneasy, being told to lie down there didn’t sit well either. Still, she silently walked onto the table and laid down. Something was wrong. Inside her mind there were danger sirens blaring. “Hey, I think I actually need a moment before we start anything.”

Maelstrom shook his head no. “We will be making the decisions on what’s best for you. Right now, we just want to help right away.” 

“And I get that, I really do- this isn’t sitting right for me. You know, déjà vu?” Carmen said nervously as she attempted to get up.

“Déjà vu is nothing but a symptom to those who fear the present and need an excuse to deviate from a goal.” Putting his hands-on Carmen’s shoulders and easing her back down onto the table. “We will need to put some restraints on you to ensure there aren’t any accidents.” Reaching for the cuffs on the wrists, she moved her hands.

Laughing nervously, hoping this was all some sick joke. But Professor Maelstrom isn’t one to joke around. “Again, I get that, but that seems extreme.”

Upset by her defiance and her question he blurts out firmly. “Do you not trust us?”

She didn’t know how to answer that. What first comes to mind was the fact that she did trust them, but deep down, something was telling her they aren’t trustworthy. “I do, but honestly, trust is easy to break, especially if one were to be strapped down to a metal table against their will. So, I guess, I don’t trust you.” Standing up for herself felt right. In a way, she felt proud. 

From that answer, it looked like it was the final straw for Maelstrom. He was done tolerating these questions and backtalk. “Doctor.”

Bellum knew what that meant. Everything went south so quickly, so this situation had to be dealt with quickly. She activated her personal crackle rod and cranked it up to a mild stun. “Sorry dear, but we will have you fixed in no time.” Making contact with Carmen’s neck before she even had a chance to defend herself.

They sighed in relief. She was out cold. “What happened.” He growled. “I thought you said you fixed it.” Turning his face to his colleague. Though he was trying to be intimidating, Bellum was not phased.

“I have my theories, but this most likely stems from a deep-rooted hatred for us. This doesn’t answer why she was able to remember anything we had erased. Perhaps choosing the name Carmen Sandiego wasn’t the best move after all.”

“No, it’s more than that. Before I entered the room, she already looked disturbed.” He rebutted. Bellum nodded and started brainstorming another reason as to why this was happening.

“If it isn’t something to do with her name, we should assume that sometime during her year at the academy there was a trigger.” She paused. “Something that made her want to leave.”

They both sat in silence, brains working at full gear. Trying to remember what could’ve possibly happened that would lead to her disobedience in the past. They were her teachers, but they make it a point not to get to involved in their student’s personal lives.

“Doctor, do you happen to recall why she decided to enroll in our program early?” He asked, both out of curiosity and to see if they had the same theories.

It took a minute for Bellum to respond. “I was always under the impression that she wanted to prove herself to us, or perhaps aimed to be the youngest operative we had.”

“A very plausible theory.”

His choice of words came off as condescending, upsetting Bellum a little. “Was that the wrong answer? Do explain what you have theorized.” Gesturing her hand, giving him the floor for him to speak.

“Her reasoning may have sourced from an earlier incident that happened before she enrolled. Do you remember the cellphone that Cookie Booker’s associate had misplaced?” Bellum nodded yes in response. “I believe she may have contacted someone on the outside. Triggering a domino affect that awakened a need to leave VILE no matter what. Whether it be stealing for us, or just leaving.”

This could’ve also have been part of a pride thing, but she had to agree with him. The timeline and reasoning add up. There’s a high chance that whomever she contacted fed her information on the real world. She’s always been a curious one, of course she’d want to leave.

She was stumped and she hated that. Normally it was easy to find a solution, but this situation was so fickle. Science has a lot of trial and error, but it’s hard to accomplish something when you’re only given a couple chances to get the correct answer. “What do suggest we do? Erasing a minor event that is intertwined with her childhood and time at the academy isn’t an easy feat, its practically impossible.”

“Is there any way we can work around it? I don’t want any more slip ups from your faulty devices. This must be done. I- We, need a win.” He demanded, standing tall, losing his cool a bit.

Though she was shorter, she wasn’t afraid to talk back up to him. Standing on her tippy toes if she needed to so she could get face to face. “Swallow your pride Gunnar. You do not speak for my work!” She hissed, pressing her index finger on his chest. “My invention can only suppress major events and recent memories. Going too far back may cause a total change in her character. That is NOT what we agreed upon.”

He looked down. Though it was an amusing sight, he backed away. He overstepped his boundaries. Science was her department. But also, psychology was his. “I apologize. Instead, we can handle this the old-fashioned way.”

“What exactly do you mean by that?” She asked, unsure if he meant regarding their minor spat or for their problem with Carmen’s memories.

“Your Mind Wiping tech is truly groundbreaking, but I can be of assistance. Though what I am considering may not be ethical, but it’s necessary.”

Intrigued with his small compliment, she decided to allow him to continue. “Go on.”

“The brain is complex, but easily manipulated. For now, Carmen’s memories resurfacing is acceptable, preferred even. Each time she gets a semblance of who she was, we will be right next to her to change that memory. Eventually over time she won’t be able to recall what’s real. After more reinforcement, all she will remember is what we told her. In short, we’re breaking down and rebuilding.”

“And if that doesn’t take?”

“Nothing some electric shock therapy won’t fix.” He turned his head to the unconscious Carmen on the table. “She’s going to be spending quite some time in your lab, Doctor. Is that too much trouble?”

A good plan should not be ignored. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t surprised when he came up with that plan on the spot. Maelstrom was quick as a whip. All she could do was smile. “Not at all. This is a challenge I am excited to overcome. Where should we begin?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Inspiration for this fic comes from @VestaDragon on here/tumblr! Plz thank her for having a genius brain] Thanks for reading! I hope to make longer chapters in the future, but personally I like writing shorter chapters and posting frequently. Writing isn't my strong suit, so hopefully I'm able to make this enjoyable.


	4. Twisted Therapy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Bellum and Prof. Maelstrom are starting their therapy session today! Isn't that just swell? Nope. It's painful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T/W electric torture-ish. (No gore, I didn't want this chapter to be too dark.)

After concluding a second mind wipe, Dr. Bellum’s lab was deemed unfit for proper interrogation and experimentation for the next stage in their theory. Mainly since their subject needed a controlled environment to eliminate any variables that may affect their results. The best place suited for their tests was an extra study they could move Bellum’s equipment to. In the room next door, Maelstrom set up a tape recorder to avoid any leaks of what they may be up to.

Upon pressing the red button, the cassette tape started to spin. “This is Professor Gunnar Maelstrom, conducting day one of Project Red. Currently, our subject is awaiting our first trial, erasing, and rewriting. If today’s test proves successful in the slightest, it will be a major stride towards our goal.”

There was a knock at the door and Maelstrom quickly concluded the recording. The creaking of the old wooden door was loud, one of the many downsides of having a castle built from hundreds of years ago.

Bellum popped her head in. “Professor, Carmen is awaiting your presence. I will be here, remotely monitoring her heartrate. I will also be ready for immediate resistance, with a small charge of voltage waiting to be activated. You will also have control over these jolts. There is another remote, along with a computer ready on the desk in the room.”

Standing up, he collected his leather journal and fountain pen. As he headed out the door he remembered the work that Bellum has done. “Thank you, Doctor.” He quickly said before entering the adjacent room from the office space.

In a way, it seemed almost genuine. Truly, she didn’t know what to say, considering he had already entered the room, locked, and shut the door, there was no need to respond. This didn’t mean her job was done. They still had a long process to complete and this was only the beginning. Cracking her knuckles and doing a mild stretch, she headed into her mini lab to monitor the situation via recording.

Inside the interrogation room, if we can even call it that, was hardly furnished. There was no natural light, and it was dimly lit. A single desk and a large chair, similar to a gaming chair seemed to be the only furniture inside. Carmen was strapped into the chair as it reclined back about twenty-five degrees so the Mind Wiper can fit snug onto her face without slipping off. Maelstrom sat at the desk and opened the laptop sitting perfectly in the middle. He got a message from Bellum.

‘She is under some mild anesthetics; she is susceptible to whatever you may suggest.’

He had to keep a cool head, which he does daily. There can be no slip ups on their first day of these trials.

As Carmen began to stir, Maelstrom stood up, remote in hands. “Good Morning, did you have a good rest?”

Upon hearing his voice, Carmen tried to turn her head to see where the voice was coming from. Though since her head was strapped in and having her vision obstructed by having a device on her face, she was unable to confirm where she was, but no vision didn’t mean she didn’t recognize who just spoke.

“Professor? Where- where am I? What’s happening?” Voice raspy, in need of water. It was like she had just woken up from a nap that lasted the whole day.

“I am conducting a psychological evaluation after your recent caper. May I ask, what your name is and what do you last remember?”

Maelstrom patiently waited for her answer. She needed a moment to think. “I am, Black Sheep? I remember, failing. Failing the exams, and uh, that’s, all I can- remember.”

To play into the charade. Maelstrom let out a sigh and Carmen tensed up. “What a shame.” He paused. “My dear, it’s been two years since the exams, and you did not fail. You do not go by Black Sheep anymore, because you gave yourself the name, Carmen Sandiego when you graduated at the top of your class.”

“I graduated?”

“Yes, you graduated.” He replied.

“Oh. I- I don’t remember.”

“You graduated at the top of your class.” Re affirming what he said earlier.

“Did I?”

“Yes, you did. We were all so proud. Except for one person. Shadowsan.”

“No, that’s not right.” She muttered softly. That’s when Maelstrom pushed a button, sending a small electric current to give her a soft zap. It stung and Carmen seized slightly. Electricity is still electricity regardless of being in a small or large voltage. It was over as soon as it began.

He continued with the story. “Shadowsan wanted you to fail. Despite his attempts to fail you, you passed your exams. Seeing you succeed sent him on a path to destroy everything we’ve worked for. On the night of your graduation, he betrayed us all.”

Trying to remember what happened. All that flashed in her mind was, “An empty coat.” She said with a shallow breath.

“That’s right, he had an empty coat so he could fail you. He despised you and betrayed us.”

“He cared about me.” Another zap. This time, to a slightly higher voltage, enough to let a small scream of pain escape from Carmen’s mouth.

“He only cared to ruin your life, to see you suffer.” Maelstrom said firmly.

Breathing heavily, she faintly whispered, “Shadowsan saved me.” Being zapped again was like a buzzing, burning sensation. It was getting worse. It was unbearable pain.

“No. He did not save you. He planned to kill you, but we stopped him. VILE has been and always will be your family.” He expected a response to that statement, in any way, shape or form. He was surprised she was just silent. Had he over done it with the jolts? No, if he had done too much, Dr. Bellum would’ve intervened.

“Carmen?” He asked.

She hesitated to answer. “VILE. VILE is my family.” She said so very quietly. 

Smiling to himself, he wrote some notes into his notebook. Though she is showing recollection of what originally happened, with repetitive tests like these will eventually rewrite what she originally remembered.

Carmen’s been silent for a while. Steady and hardly moving. Was she waiting for something? “Are you ready to continue?”

“I want this to stop.” She demanded.

Closing his journal swiftly, he knew he couldn’t push this too far in one day. “Very well. We will continue tomorrow morning.” Promptly leaving the room after he finished his sentence. As he left the room, Dr. Bellum left the room next door to meet him in the hallway.

“Should I start the next wipe?” Bellum asked. “Or is it too soon?”

“Indeed. Please proceed with the wipe. We will start first thing in the morning with the second test. In the meantime, I will be looking over today’s results.” Beginning to walk away, he turned around quickly. “Oh, and please make sure she eats and drinks today. We aren’t savages after all.”

* * *

_One and a half painful_ _weeks_ _later_

“This is Doctor Saira Bellum, monitoring the second week of Project Red. Currently, Professor Maelstrom will be starting the next stage of our first test. So far, results look promising, with a few road bumps ahead. I will soon be redirecting this channel into the live feed of today’s test.” With a few keyboard taps and adjustments of some dials, Bellum tuned into the other room's recordings.

Pausing for a moment, before fast forwarding over the minor details in previous recordings. Creating a new tape, she narrated. “The first half of the tests were the same as the first week. Same dose of anesthetics, chair angle, temperature, etc. Carmen stuck to the story that Maelstrom told. Though, at first there were some slight hesitation in her answers, meaning she was having trouble deciphering in her mind which was the original and which was the imitation. All she can recall after our mind wipes are what we explained. There were no need for shocks for the duration of the first half of this week’s test as well. Which is good. Less electricity could mean more trust. We've also removed the obstruction of her view, to see if that changes anything.”

Bellum continued on with her monologue. “Pardon the summary, but it is much easier to take in when it’s broken down. There is no time for exposition.” Listening into the feed, because Maelstrom has reached the second half of today’s test.

“Are you ready to continue, my dear?” Maelstrom asked.

“Yes.” Carmen said immediately. The mind wiper has been removed, so now they are able to talk face to face. Now it actually kind of seems like it was a therapy session. Even if she still was strapped in and hooked up to wires. Being able to see changes everything.

“Good girl.” Scanning through a list of topics in his notes, deciding what should they move on to. “How did you get your hands on a phone?”

She flinched. Though her head was groggy, something was telling her she had to keep that a secret. She had no idea how they knew she had a phone. Did she let it slip one day? She tried to think back, but she can’t remember when an event like that would’ve taken place, Especially after Professor Maelstrom’s story. Hopefully, silence will be a good enough answer.

Awaiting an answer to no avail. “Too afraid to speak. Shame.” He zapped her for the first time that day, but he didn’t change the setting that time. A jolt like that is still going to hurt, but still not strong enough to render you unconscious or in physical danger. Carmen yelped in response.

“I’ll ask again, my dear. How did you get your hands on a phone?” Again, she didn’t answer him. She was still catching her breath after the small jolt. “I don’t want to have to do this again, you’re making it more difficult than this needs to be.” Still silence. He shook his head. He didn’t take pleasure in this, but this is what needed to be done.

Unsure of what he should ask next, he decided upon asking a different question that still pertains to his previous question. “Who did you talk to?” Still no answer. But with this question, he could still try to push for an answer. She looked away. “Well, whomever you spoke to, was an accomplice to Shadowsan and attempted to distract you from your studies here at VILE so you would fail.”

She whipped her head around, and opened her mouth as if she was about to argue but couldn’t find the words.

“Did I strike a chord?” He teased. Carmen didn’t want to respond. What if he was telling the truth? Whoever she spoke to on the phone was a stranger. Voices can easily be edited, so it’s plausible, even if she didn’t want to admit it. Maybe she didn’t want to believe her mystery friend, Player, was faking everything. She wanted to believe he was a genuine friend.

“Was he a spy?” She asked.

“Indeed, he was. Shadowsan wanted to seize the perfect moment to destroy you. So, he planted the phone, with his accomplice waiting on the other end to feed you lies that would cause you to doubt who we are and to doubt yourself.” Maelstrom explained.

Trying to remember any semblance of evidence that may point to that not being true, but in her mind, she came up empty handed. She found the phone when she was young and spoke to him for a long time. She could confide in Player, or so she thought. But, was Shadowsan truly that desperate to ruin her? To also break her down emotionally? Because it worked. It hurt. Though she never met the boy or whoever it was, this betrayal hurt so much. Her friendship with 'Player' was all a lie.

“Why?” Her voice began to shake. "Why did he do this?"

“Because, my dear Carmen, you were the best of all of us. And some people just wanted to see you fail, but you can prove them wrong.” 

She didn’t know what to say. Was this something she had to prove? What was she supposed to prove anyways? That she was a good thief? She knew that already. Even Professor Maelstrom had told her that she was and is the best thief that VILE ever had. Though she may be missing a good portion of her memories, she understands the gist of it. Despite Shadowsan’s betrayal to VILE, she still graduated at the top of her class and was a flawless operative, that is until Shadowsan started working with ACME, an organization that was determined to dismantle VILE. They caused an accident which in turn, messed up her memories. That was all she needed to know. She didn’t need revenge, she just wanted to prove herself.

“Put me out on the field.” She demanded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Inspiration for this fic goes to @Vestadragon on here/tumblr! Plz thank her for having a genius brain] I hope this wasn't too dark. I didn't want to make the torture part too brutal. If you are wondering or are confused, there is a (close to) two week time skip because it was full of electric torture and mind wipes. That's it. Brutal time for Carm. but too much for me to write properly lmao. 
> 
> Also, if you're wondering how it all happened so quickly? Anesthesia weakens the mind, allows for people to slip while speaking sometimes, that plus electric shocks? Easy influence.


	5. The Try Not to Medal Caper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Professor Maelstrom and Doctor Bellum decide maybe putting Carmen to the test on a minor caper might do her some good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor implications of the Holocaust and small betrayal. (Any typos? Please let me know so I can fix it.)

He was taken by surprise from her demand. “I admire your eagerness, but it is much too soon for a caper. You aren’t ready yet.” He wasn’t lying. Though these tests are promising, there’s no guarantee how she will react to other variables.

“But I am ready! I know I fumbled, but there’s got to be something for me to do.” Carmen pleaded.

There are some logistical problems with sending Carmen out. The Cons outweigh the Pros. But eventually they were going to send her out. Perhaps the sooner, the better. “I will arrange for test of sorts, but you will be working locally and off the grid.”

Carmen beamed. “I won’t disappoint you! Now, if you don’t mind?” She tugged at the restraints and wiring. At first, she knew these experiments and mental tests were a bit odd. To be fair, VILE has never been one to stick to traditional ways of learning, but still, this was overkill. None the less, she had to prove herself to her professors. Whatever caused her to slip, cannot and will not happen again.

Realizing what Carmen meant with her tugs at the restraints, he started to detach the monitors. Carmen waited anxiously. He wasn’t afraid of any attempts at escape at that very moment. The mind wipes had left Carmen weak. “I do hope you understand what this means. A small caper means small movements. You are not allowed to be seen.”

“Of course, Professor.”

As he was loosening the last restraint, the door was thrown wide open. Before he could say anything, Bellum dragged Maelstrom out into the hallway aggressively. For a small person like her, she had quite the grip. Throwing him onto the stone walls and a quiet grunt escaped his mouth.

“Gunnar, I am quite fed up with your behavior! This is not your experiment alone to control!” She paused, she realized she forgot to close the door and Carmen just listened to her outburst awkwardly. “Sorry dear, we will be just one moment.” She laughed nervously as she shut the door. Practically panting from rage, she paced back and forth. Stopping every moment ready to scream.

Looking down, he could tell Saira was practically boiling over in anger. It’s been a while since he had last seen her struggling to find the right words. “Take your time, Doctor. It’s not like we have someone waiting.”

Grabbing him by his dull colored turtleneck sweater, she pulled him down to her level. “You really are trying to piss me off, aren’t you? I for one, am sick of your kind of delusional leadership. Now, if you wanted to do this all on your own, I would’ve happily stood by. I could’ve been working on something else but look at me now. Scolding an overgrown, spoiled, child, that thinks everything is his!” Gripping tighter as she stood on her tippy toes.

Pushing her off him, it was not that hard, again, she was small and physically weak. “You are the one that’s the child, Saira. You do not realize that VILE is in danger of destruction because you are living in this delusion that if you stay holed up in your lab then everything will be fine. We are practically bankrupt and all you care about is _your_ experiment!”

“Do not excuse me of being selfish, after all the things I have done for this school! My lab, my family! All the sacrifices I have made was for this school!” Bellum’s voice broke a bit at the end of her sentence. It had been a while since she last revisited the memories of her family or what she had given up. VILE was great for expressing herself in science, but she’d be lying if she said she never thought about her life before VILE.

“You are not the only one that made sacrifices, but I see your point.” He sighed. How can he put this? “Under normal circumstances, I would’ve been more careful. But now is not the time. We must jump into the unknown waters with no hesitation. There’s no leeway for testing to see if it is safe.”

Shaking off the negative energy in the hall, Gunnar was right as always. As much of a pain he may be, he truly cares for the wellbeing of VILE. She leaned against the wall, avoiding eye contact through her goggles. “Just because you are right, doesn’t mean you can act whenever you please. This is still a place that works through rules.”

Adjusting his outfit after their mild quarrel wasn’t going to hide the fact that there was tension between the faculty. But it couldn’t be helped, well actually it could. Again, there’s no time to waste with mind wipes. “Before I step back inside, would you like to discuss what type of mission we should use as a test for our dearest Carmen?”

“I’m glad you asked.” Bellum smiled smugly. “There’s this local pub, owned by a family. Quite pleasant actually. The family lives above and they have heirlooms that could be worth quite a lot.” Pausing for a moment, she pondered, was that a good idea? Too big of a job?

“This sounds like a big risk, won’t it set off any red flags with ACME?” He questioned.

Scoffing, Bellum did a small wave of dismissal. “Since this is locally owned, they do not use surveillance since the family trusts the community. A major misstep in their plans, I might add.”

This was something bigger than what he had initially planned. Originally he had hoped to create a false scenario that could be easily controlled, but if Carmen were to discover the ruse, it may create more road bumps in the future. “Terrific idea, Doctor. I shall notify our operative of her job.” He said while reaching for the door handle.

Bellum tugged on his sleeve before he could turn the handle. “Before you go, please ensure that the cleaners keep watch. This is only a trial and I have a sinking feeling something may go sideways at any moment.” Maelstrom simply nodded and went inside.

When Professor Maelstorm walked inside the room, Carmen had already freed herself and sat by the windowsill, watching the rain. She redirected her attention from the gloomy scenery to Maelstrom’s shocked face.

“Oh, welcome back, Professor. I took the liberty of freeing myself.” She stood up and walked halfway across the room. “You know, if the staff is going through some emotional drama, I’d be glad to mediate.”

Clearing his throat because that earlier display was embarrassing enough, having an audience made it worse. “That won’t be necessary. Your job will be done locally, at a small pub.”

Boring, but she didn’t have much of a choice. One small, boring job will be the one to send her back out onto the field. The sooner the better. There is still a whole world to explore. While thieving still interested her, she can’t remember what the world was like. Unsure whether or not to bring up her excitement, Carmen thought it was probably best to stay quiet.

Carmen sat in Dr. Bellum’s lab as she watched her tinker with these new gadgets. It’s always fun to watch the Doctor work, she’s always so focused on her task that she wouldn’t notice a tornado blowing through. Today’s gadget was a little odd, a grappling hook that attached to the wrist an refillable wire. Very efficient and easy to use. Though having no recollection of her professor ever creating a gadget like that, it seemed to be a bit out of character for Dr.Bellum to create a tool that didn’t harm someone.

“May I help you?” Bellum asked when she noticed Carmen’s curious gaze.

It was not too surprising that she noticed her watching. She wasn’t trying to hide it. “Sorry, I was just curious on what you’re doing.” Walking over to the workstation, she picked up what looked like lipstick, but turned out to be a flash drive. “Because this stuff looks nothing like VILE tech.”

Dr.Bellum quickly grabbed it from Carmen’s hands. “It’s something new, low profile and uh, stylish.”

“Style? I see you’re taking notes from Countess Cleo.” Carmen teased while reaching for more of the other gadgets that were spread across the table.

Slapping Carmen’s hand away, she scoffed in offence. “This had nothing to do with Cleo.”

Intriguing response, but it was not her place as an underling to overstep her bounds in the Doctor’s comfort zone and workplace. “So, I assume these are for me?”

“That would be the correct assumption.” Unbothered, she responded while inserting the lipstick USB to a nearby computer to inspect the device’s files. Typing fast trying to decrypt previous files that the drive may have touched, but to no avail. Whomever Carmen was working with was smart, or perhaps Carmen was just a step ahead. This was a new drive, assuming that Carmen kept this drive with her at all times, it’s safe to assume that she’d use a new drive each mission to avoid any tracing to her teammates. Saira exhaled deeply. A dead end at tracing Shadowsan’s possible location. What a shame.

“Everything okay, Doctor?” Carmen asked. Dr. Bellum’s attempt at using the drive was obviously a failure, but if it was a new drive, then what was the point of trying to search through it? Maybe she found a bug?

“Yes, everything is fine. I just encountered a minor roadblock, but no matter.” Taking the flash drive out, she reached for another gadget. “I’m going to need some time to do a rework of all these gadgets, so that they’re safe for use.”

“So what about my caper? I would really like to go as soon as possible, uh- please. When will you be done?”

“I’ll be done, when I’m done.” Putting a pause on her little research on the gadgets, Dr. Bellum walked over to another station of already completed tools while Carmen silently trailed behind. “You may use an assortment of my older gadgets, along with the basic tools, such as our lock picking kit, night vision goggles, and binoculars.”

Carmen’s eyes wandered across the plethora of tools, but her gaze stopped when her eyes laid upon the crackle rod. She reached for it, but picking up the crackle rod felt, wrong. Perhaps it was because she wasn’t offered the rod, or maybe it was something else.

Noticing her demeanor and slight hesitation, Bellum knew to step in and give Carmen a push in the right direction. “Ah, the crackle rod. Excellent pick! All you’d need is that and the lock picking kit, it is a minor caper, after all.”

Would that be enough? She doesn’t even have any information on what the caper might require accomplishing successfully. Maybe this is part of the test, working with what you got. “I’m sure I can make it work.”

“Wonderful, now that you got what you need, please leave my lab. I’m very busy.”

Before Carmen could get a word in, she’s already been pushed into the hallway with the door slamming shut behind her. All she had in her hands were the Crackle rod and the kit. Gripping them tight, she was filled with determination. She was going to prove herself to VILE with this caper. But, what if things went sideways? If she messed up, would she be forgiven? VILE has a history of holding people accountable for mistakes and punishing those who fail. She was one of the lucky ones, given the opportunity at a second chance was rare for operatives. Probably Coach Brunt had a say in this, she has always been soft on her. Her head filled with different scenarios of what might go down, or what to do to ensure she’s not seen.

She must’ve got lost in pure exhilaration because someone tapped her shoulder. She turned her head, making eye contact with Professor Maelstrom who looked extremely irritated. “Carmen, I’ve been trying to catch your attention for the past minute, if you are not mentally prepared for this caper, I won’t hesitate to cancel this mission.”

Startled, Carmen had to regain a grip on her level head. “Sorry Professor, this won’t happen out there. I swear I’ll do what it takes to succeed.” Her eyes showed she was serious. Luckily, Maelstrom was the best person to tell she one hundred percent was truthful with her words.

“You better succeed, you are our best operative and we’d hate for you to sit out on our upcoming capers. They’re big ones.”

Big jobs, they seemed like fun. Stealing was the best game there was. If Maelstrom said it’s a big job, it must mean it’s a huge deal. Being put up to the test was nerve wracking, but she could steal in her sleep. The thrill of being unnoticed, it’s something money can’t buy, it’s something you must take. “I won’t let you down.”

“If you say so, let me inform you about your caper.” He explained while leading Carmen down the hallway to a nearby room. “I’ll be giving you a basic outline of what’s to be accomplished.” When they reached the doorway, all he did was open the door. Inside the room was a whiteboard, notepads, post it notes and blueprints. “The rest is up to you.”

Carmen walked inside and analyzed the blueprints of the building. There were no notes. On the table was a portfolio, but all that was inside was a single sheet of paper with three bullet points of accomplishments. “Is this all there is, just stealing medals of valor, not being detected and getting some information on the people that own the pub?”

“That’s it, you have free range of this caper, this is a test after all. We want to see if you are able to work on your own plans and be successful on your own.” He paused because Carmen was still studying the blueprints. Unsure whether or not she heard him, he cleared his throat.

“Oh, I heard you professor, I’m just cooking something up right now. I’ll be ready in, let’s say- a half hour?”

To not disturb her process, he just silently shut the door.

Now that she was alone, she can really focus on an airtight plan. “They really didn’t give me much to work with.” Looking at the blueprint again, she opened a white marker to circle the possible entries and exits. There were quite a few. Back door, front door, windows, and a wine cellar with an exit to a nearby building. There isn’t much she can do without having been able to scout the building or the target first. “As a backup plan for getting caught, don’t get caught in the first place.” She said to herself. There really wasn’t much to plan besides strategy at that moment.

Carmen left the room earlier than she planned. In the hallway Maelstrom was waiting while reading a small book that was written in Gaelic Scottish. Carmen couldn’t read the title and there was no cover art. When she walked out, he swiftly closed the book.

“Done so soon?” He asked.

“There wasn’t much else I could do without being there in person, so I might as well leave early to check out the place before I do anything major.”

A minor caper still needs planning, but he trusted her methods. Carmen would’ve at least done some of the basics of mapping out exits. “If that is all that needs to be done, the cleaners will drive you to the pub. Meet them outside in precisely ten minutes.”

“Understood, Professor. Thank you again for this opportunity.” She quickly grabbed the Crackle rod and her tool kit. All she had to wear was her hoodie, but perhaps being casual would be best. Luckily with the hoodie being loose, it was easy to hide her things in the inside pockets. “Nifty.” She said, as she slipped the rod into a large pocket sewn into her hoodie. So many pockets. Perfect for a thief.

She promptly left the castle. There the cleaners were, waiting in a small car that could hardly fit Boris and his tall stature.

Entering the car, she greeted the cleaners. “Hi Boris, Vlad.” Vlad looked through the rearview mirror and just adjusted it. Boris simply nodded in acknowledgement. Carmen knew they weren’t known for conversation, but they still at least deserve some respect for their job.

It didn’t take long to reach the pub. At this point it was midday on a Monday. The skies were grey, but the sun did happen to peak through gaps in the clouds. When she exited the car, she thanked them, and they drove off to a nearby pickup site. She was probably going to end up being in this small town for at least twelve hours. Carmen took a deep breath in. The air was refreshing and cool, much better than the castle. People were walking along the stone streets. It was so peaceful and beautiful, it looked like a painting.

“I wish I could explore, but work first, sightsee later.” When she said those words, a sudden sense of DeJa’Vu washed over her. Quickly locating the pub that was built into the strip of buildings. There were some people sitting inside and they didn’t look too busy. I guess even on weekdays people need a drink. Mondays are the worst for most people. Entering the pub, the clattering bells on top of the door rung.

Two heads at the bar turned to greet their guest. “Halò! Welcome to The Rams Heid Inn!” A blonde woman said from behind the bar. The inside was beautiful. Looked newly renovated. There was a classic wooden bar on the left side of the room. A few burly men sat at the bar talking amongst themselves. There were wooden tables laid across the entire right side of the room. Each table had a max of four chairs. A small party of three were sitting at the back of the room too. At the back of the pub, Carmen could spot a beautiful wood staircase that most likely led to the bedrooms upstairs.

A short boy yelled. His shoulders were just a little bit taller than the bar itself. “Please sit wherever you please!”

“Ollie, you forgot to ask something.” The woman said with a smile on her face.

The boy pondered. What could he have forgotten? “Oh yeah! Did you make a reservation for the inn?” He ran up to her holding a book with a list of different names and dates.

This Ollie, he’s very loud, Carmen thought to herself. But she liked his excitement. “No sorry, I’m just here for a meal and a drink.”

Looking back at his mom, he asked “Now màthair?”.

His mom chuckled. “Yes, now you can say it.” She said while shaking her head at her son’s antics.

“Please sit wherever you please!” He yelled again.

Carmen couldn’t help but smile. He was very loud, and his decibel hurt her ears, but children have a pure passion for simple tasks, it was amusing. Carmen decided to sit down by the window, at least she could get a look on the street for good places to sneak around.

There was already a menu on the table, the meals looked mouthwatering. After scanning the menu, she had decided what she wanted, despite wanting to try everything. When she set the menu down, Ollie was already next to her, bouncing with joy. She’d be lying if she wasn’t startled. The boy was light on his feet.

Ollie set a glass of ice water at the table for Carmen. “Are you ready to order? Do you want to hear the specials? Oh wait, there’s no specials today. So- are you ready to order off the menu? My bad for getting your hopes up!”

“Ollie, calm down, you’ll frighten her!” His mom called out. The few people in their establishment laughed. They whispered to each other because the boy was funny, they weren’t making fun of him.

“Sorry! Oh, I mean- sorry.” He said to Carmen.

Carmen laughed under her breath. “It’s okay, Ollie. I understand being excited for a job. As for my order, I’ll have the small king prawn, crab and chorizo linguine.” Ollie wrote down the order in his small notepad.

“I’ll have that right our for you, Miss!” Carmen handed him the menu and he ran back behind the bar and told his mother the order. Where his mom shook her head and pointed him to the kitchen where he was supposed to bring the order. He just nodded excitedly and went into the kitchen. With the kitchen door closed, you could hear his loud voice echoing throughout the pub.

In the meantime, Carmen analyzed the room. Where were those medals? On the back wall, as plain as day were medals of valor in glass cases. There were seven of them. They were all so beautiful and meant a lot. The stories behind them, she couldn’t even imagine what those soldiers must’ve went through to earn those. How did they even end up in a random pub like this in the first place? While studying the entire layout of the first floor of the pub, she tried to burn in it into her memories because when it’s dark, she doesn’t want to trip against anything. Yet, she would find herself looking at those medals again.

“You like those medals, eh?” Ollie said.

This time she was really spooked. They should add a bell to that kid, but it might make him more obnoxious. “Oh, yeah, they’re beautiful.”

Ollie took Carmen’s hand and pulled her to the back of the pub. “Yah, they are beautiful. They were given to my grandfather when he was a boy.” He put his hand against the cool glass of one of the medals. “During the second world war. My grandfather took care of this injured troop of American soldiers. All while he took care of some Jewish refugees.” Looking at his reflection in the glass. “He was my age at the time.”

“I can’t imagine being so young and having to do that, or even living in a time like that at all.” Carmen somberly said.

“Yah. At that moment in time, the soldiers weren’t supposed to be there yet. They were a team of low profile, uh- spies. They were only here to assess the situation when the Germans attacked. Caught in the crossfire, they couldn’t go to any medical station for help with their tags.”

“How does that explain the medals?” She said as she studied the little medals.

“Oh, the soldiers owed their lives to him. They trusted him with their lives and kept their identities a secret. When they recovered, they were able to save more refugees by finding camps and stopping trains.” Ollie took a deep breath in. “It must’ve been super scary for everyone.”

Carmen looked at those medals. “So, they awarded these medals to those soldiers, for risking their lives to do what’s right, even if sneaking here was bad?”

“At the time they were doing bad by sneaking around, breaking the treaty. But they saved thousands of lives. If it weren’t for my grandfather, they would’ve been turned in and-.” He couldn’t even finish the sentence. “But to thank him, the seven soldiers gave them their medals of valor. Cool right?”

She put her hand on Ollie’s shoulder. “Your grandfather was incredibly brave for keeping it a secret and taking care of them. Can’t believe he did that by himself.”

He looked Carmen in the eyes. His eyes glistened, like he was fighting back the tears. “I know right? He was all alone because his parents were, unfortunate to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Luckily, he got to keep the pub under their name because of the chaos.” He bucked up quickly for such a dark story.

“So, is this the pub?” Carmen asked.

Ollie beamed. “Correct! Isn’t it amazing? People say it’s haunted, but I don’t hear any ghosts. They probably know it’s the home of a hero!” The vibes were brought back up. Carmen smiled too. Other people probably heard the story as well, and if they were regulars they probably already heard that story before.

“Ollie, her food is ready.” His mom said as she leaned against the bar. She smiled at Carmen, glad that she listened to his little history lesson with open ears. Not many people are that into listening to history. Carmen then walked over to her table while Ollie ran to get her food.

When she sat down, Ollie was already behind her holding the hot plate of pasta. He set it on the table for her to enjoy. “Thank you Ollie, for the food and for the history lesson.”

“Do you want to hear more? I can tell you!” He said as he sat down. “I’m going on break!” He screamed. Everyone erupted in laughter.

Carmen listened to him talk as she finished her food. He went into a lot of detail about the pub and its history. How his dad worked in a museum as a security guard and would bring back candies from the gift shop. More about how he and his mom ran the pub in the day time. Once Carmen was done, she paid the bill.

“What about you, Miss? What’s your story?” He asked.

Normally, it would be weird if a stranger in a bar asked for her information, but since he was a kid, she’d go along with it. “First of all, the name is Carmen. I’m only here for sight seeing and other things. It’s a lovely town.”

“Right! It’s beautiful!”

Carmen smiled. Though she was done with her meal, she didn’t want to leave, but she had to. “This has been fun, Ollie. But I must head out now.” She got up.

He pouted. “Aw, shame. Please come again!”

Carmen waved goodbye to Ollie and his mother. As she left and walked across the street, she could see from outside the window that he was talking to his mom. Probably about their conversation. She didn’t really expect to be caught up in the pub’s history, but it was fun. Normally VILE would have you only strike at night, but this was necessary information. Ollie spilled quite a bit about life at the pub. It closed at ten and guests normally went to sleep after twelve. He and his mom would be finishing cleaning by then. His father comes home just before the bar closes too.

The ideal time was to strike at two in the morning. Luckily, they didn’t have security cameras in the inside. Pity they didn’t think anyone would steal the medals despite their high value. Normally medals won’t be sold, but buyers at VILE would love to have these on display above their fireplace.

Carmen sat on a nearby rooftop for a few hours after doing some casual sightseeing. She was tired but work always excited her. When it came close to two, she slid down and landed on the streets. Nobody was out. Good. Picking the lock on the front door, she carefully opened it as it’s creaking echoed through the empty room.

It being dark inside didn’t help, but her previous analysis of the room did. She knew where the tables were and where the wood squeaked. Making her way to the back of the room, she carefully put the medals and their casing into the duffle bag. But suddenly stopped. This felt so wrong.

“Miss- Carmen?” A voice said.

She turned her head and made eye contact with Ollie who was in his pajamas and slippers. “Ollie.” She whispered.

“Carmen, what are you doing” He asked, voice shaking. He tried to reach out to her. All confidence was gone, he was very quiet unlike before.

Unable to find the words, she walked backwards and put her hands up. “Wait Ollie, I can explain.”

Taking a deep breath. “No! G-give them back!” He almost yelled. It was loud. If Carmen wasted anymore time, his mom would be down to do something. He tried desperately to pull at the bag to get them back. She knew what she had to do, but she couldn’t do it. She had to stun him. Carmen went into her pocket and got her crackle rod. Turning it up slightly, barely making it to stun mode.

“I’m sorry Ollie, really I am.”

Ollie was going to make a run for it, or scream. Carmen couldn’t tell because she already contact with his chest. He was out like a light. She caught his body so there wouldn’t be a loud thud. With him unconscious, she could easily take the medals and leave. Why was this so hard? She doesn’t remember stealing being this hard.

“Finish the job.” Carmen was startled once again. Maelstrom stood at the doorway. She could only see his silhouette, but it was him.

Not wanting to disappoint, she grabbed the last medal and put it in the bag. “Sorry, I- I didn’t expect him to be awake.”

“I’m not talking about the medals, Carmen.” He walked over to her as she silently watched. “Finish him. No witnesses.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You want me to- what?” Her breath getting shallow.

“You already messed up with the medals. If you worked faster, you would’ve gotten out before he had realized you were here.” He took Carmen’s crackle rod and turned it up to its max level. He placed it into Carmen’s hand and took the duffle bag away from her.

What is she going to do? This was a test, even if she messed up, the test was still going. All she had to do was tie up this loose end. She readied herself, but. “I won’t do it. This is so messed up. I didn’t sign up for this.”

She’d never seen him this angry before. “This is what VILE is, now if you want to pass, finish the job.”

“Never.” She said firmly. Maelstrom yanked the rod from her hand and turned it back down to stun and jabbed Carmen in the side with it. She was rendered unconscious instantly. That was a letdown. Her little hang out with the boy had immediately affected Carmen and poisoned her determination to finish the job quickly and quietly. Thankfully, the cleaners were outside already, so Boris carried Carmen outside while Vlad walked over to the boy.

“No, leave the boy. I was just seeing if she’d do it. We can clean this up later.” Maelstrom instructed. Vlad just nodded and took the duffle bag from his hands and brought it to the car. It all became clear at once. Carmen easily empathizes with those she encounters. He can’t allow that to happen. Those emotions of compassion cripple the ability to get the job done. He knew what he had to do, but he’d have to talk to Doctor Bellum about it first thing he got back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took longer to post than usual, but hope you enjoyed it! I might need some help with proof reading from now on, so if you're interested, please comment. The only pro's to helping me proof read and edit is that you get first look at what's coming up. 
> 
> Also, the pub is inspired by a real place in Scotland. :) Story isn't at all historically accurate, so don't learn from me, lol.

**Author's Note:**

> [Inspiration for this fic comes from @VestaDragon on here/tumblr! Plz thank her for having a genius brain] Hope you enjoyed it! This is my first ever fic I wrote on AO3 that I am actually dedicating my time to. I am still confused on how this works, but there are definitely more chapters to come. I have a long story planned.


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